Category Archives: Happiness

The gift of my mother’s death

Posted by May 12, 2017 Happiness, health, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, passion, yoga Leave a Comment
The gift of my mother’s death

It’s that time of year again; Mother’s day. That time during which the unspoken tribe I belong to, the one of Motherless daughters, struggles to celebrate themselves as mothers (or other mothers in their lives), and honour their loved one without allowing themselves to be overridden with grief. On a whim I decided to write this blog and it is my gift to all those who have a mother with them and even those whose mothers live in heaven.

My mother’s death was a gift. A gift of spiritual awakening. Of course I didn’t see it that way at first. Like most who experience the loss of a loved one I had waves of anger, sadness, immense grief and even physical pain. I was unable to even function as a normal person would for a very long time. I resolved myself to the thinking that my life would probably follow the same path as hers and I might as well give up. Those days lasted for weeks and months but eventually became only hours and minutes of emotional pain. Somewhere between the grief and acceptance that I would live the rest of my life without her came a spiritual awakening. One, I believe, may not have occurred if she were still alive today. There are still moments of intense sadness but they are taken over with spurts of desire to live my life to its absolute fullest. To lose a parent means you take nothing for granted, you can almost hear the proverbial clock ticking. Not long after my mom passed away I got married, had two kids, and made a complete career change (all of which wasn’t the same without her). I know that my mom had regrets before her death. We spoke daily about life and things she would have changed. When you go through that experience with someone you can’t NOT live life with urgency. I wonder where I was spiritually before this experience. I remember thinking I had time to do the things I dreamed of with my life. Then I suddenly realized I didn’t have time.

So here’s my gift to you. If you are blessed to still have your mother with you, spend time with her. Spend time doing the most mundane or simple things. Go grocery shopping with her, gardening, house cleaning. Talk about nothing and everything. Enjoy her as much as you can and forgive her when she upsets or frustrates you. To those in my tribe, take some time this weekend to honour your mum. Reflect on how her passing has changed you in a positive way. It sounds horrific at first but I promise it will change everything.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Honouring Myself

Posted by May 9, 2016 Happiness, health, motherhood, parenthood, yoga Leave a Comment

Mother’s day for this year has come and gone. Even though I have been a mother myself for nearly nine years I still find the lead up and the day very difficult since I lost my mom to cancer twelve years ago. I tend to anticipate the sadness of the day by busying myself and making plans other than celebrating. And this is what I did this year. I knew my love for teaching yoga teacher trainees would be a happy way to spend the day so I committed myself to that.

One of the topics I shared with the group was the importance of taking care of yourself as a teacher and a yogi. We discussed how some days you have to give your classes to other teachers when you are feeling tired and drained. I know from past experience that trainings that last for full days and weekends leave me feeling this way yet a voice in my head said “You will be fine to teach your regular classes on Monday morning. You have toughed it out before. You can do this”. While I can appreciate my internal motivational speaker at times, I had to stop and ask myself why I felt the need to “tough it out”. Luckily I have a profession that allows me to take time off so I did just that. No plans for most of the day just an opportunity to rest and listen to my body. As my children left for school they asked me: “What are you going to do all day? Just lay around and drink coffee?” My answer was: “Something like that”. I feel it is important to show them that I decided I needed a day to slow down and honour myself as a woman and as a mother. I want them to learn that parents need time to take care of themselves so that they can be parents who are present, healthy and happy individuals. Perhaps if my mother had shown me I wouldn’t be hearing the “tough it out voice”.

So today, the day after Mother’s Day, I’m slowing down to honour my mother and the sacrifices she made for her four kids. And I’m honouring myself as a mother and my need to rest and renew.

“There is no way to be a perfect mother….but a million ways to be a good one.”

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My Mom and I on Lake Kamaniskeg, her happy place.

Five Reasons Why YOU need to go to Summer Camp!

Posted by Feb 9, 2016 adventure, fitness, glamping, Happiness, hiking, kayak, SUP, wine, yoga , , , , , Leave a Comment
Five Reasons Why YOU need to go to Summer Camp!

It’s that time of year again when parents are booking campsites, summer holidays, and sorting through local resources for kids’ camps while school is out. Do you remember how much fun summer camp was when you were a kid? Playing outdoors all day. Getting dirty and wet. Trying new activities and facing fears. Meeting new friends and creating long lasting relationships. All that fun doesn’t have to be reserved for children only. I think it’s about time us adults got in on this too. And that is why last year I organized the first YOGA ADVENTURE RETREAT in Long Point, Ontario. Over and over I kept hearing participants at the retreat say “This is like summer camp for adults….only with wine!”. So here are my 5 reasons why YOU need to come to “Adult Summer Camp”.

 
#1 – Time to unwind, relax and reconnect with yourself!
We all lead busy lives and often when we do schedule a family vacation we are so busy preparing meals, cleaning up and organizing activities, it doesn’t actually feel like much of a holiday. Maybe you feel guilty about taking time just for you, let’s face it most parents do. However, when you take time to recharge, you come back to the people you love ready to give them all of you.
Last year my family purchased a home early in the year and it turned out our closing date was one day after the retreat, which I had organized long before we bought our house. Everyone thought I was crazy to still go on the retreat and then move the next day. It ended up being the best possible scenario because I returned home energized and calm, ready to take on the stress that moving brings.
When on retreat your meals are lovingly prepared for you. No clean up either. Your activities are taken care of and spaced out so there is lots of time to take in the peaceful surroundings. The accommodations are as close to sleeping outside, and a five star hotel at the same time, as you can get. I don’t remember the last time I slept so soundly. The only thing that woke me one night was the “hooot” of an owl!

#2 – Get out of your comfort zone and face some fears!
I always remember doing activities at camp that were outside my comfort zone. It was an adrenaline rush and brought a sense of accomplishment and confidence that isn’t often felt in adulthood. Remember how you grew as a person, how it changed you? That doesn’t have to end once you have a mortgage and parental responsibilities. So if the thrill of zip lining through the Carolinian forest gives you butterflies, it’s time!

#3 – Get out in nature
There’s nothing like fresh air and the lovely songs of birds all around you to bring you back to yourself and what matters most in life. It’s not even a feeling that can be put into words. Long Point is a World Biosphere Reserve and home to Bird Studies Canada. You are bound to spot some amazing wildlife.
I believe food, wine and exercise is 1000 times better when you are in nature. I remember arriving at Long Point Eco Adventures last year and immediately sharing a bottle of Burning Kiln red wine under the canopy and just looking out over the marsh, unwinding and chatting. It was the perfect way to transition to the weekend. We spotted all kids of birds and was my first time seeing an Oriole!

#4 – Make new friends and enjoy the “old” ones
Whenever my kids attend camps they come home and tell me about their awesome new BFF. It seems that kids can easily make new friends. I remember summer camp being a time where we would be put into groups, at first I felt shy about these new faces and then in a short amount of time we were interacting and laughing together, creating long lasting friendships. It was amazing last year to see how everyone meshed. There was such an eclectic group and we bonded over who as the first to fall in the lake while SUP’ing or who helped who portage the kayaks over the fallen trees. This human connection is irreplaceable and lacking in our day to day. Many people came with friends that they hadn’t spent more than a couple of hours with in a long time. It was great to see them taking their friendships to a new level and made me wish I had brought a friend along with me.

#5 – YOU deserve to have some fun too!
Why should FUN be reserved for kids only?! It’s tough to find fun activities as an adult. And maybe it’s time we took back our fun. It’s time to let go of the responsibilities, the rigid schedules and “To-Do” lists. This is your weekend to focus on you, to let loose and belly laugh at yourself and with others. I guarantee you will NOT want to leave come Sunday!

Three days and two nights on the Yoga Adventure Retreat will leave you feeling brand new and energized. Check out EVENTS and reserve your room today!

Namaste & ZIP ON!

-Angela

How to stay motivated in your quest for optimal health

Posted by Jan 28, 2015 fitness, Happiness, health, new year's resolutions, passion, workout, yoga Leave a Comment
How to stay motivated in your quest for optimal health

As we near the end of January you might be looking back at the goals or resolutions you set for yourself just a short time ago. Have you picked up momentum or have you hit some speed bumps along the way? More than likely you have faced moments of doubt. We all do. So how does one stay motivated day after day?

We are all motivated in different ways and it’s worth while to sit down and ask yourself what motivates YOU! Is it inspirational quotes, images of others overcoming impossible tasks, is it a friend, family member or group of people? Make a list of of the first things that come to mind. Ultimately though I believe motivation must come from within. It’s there always, we might just need a little external “spark” to get it going again. Once you have taken some time to reflect or even try out your personal external motivators then make them a regular part of your day. Read a quote first thing in the morning, reach out to a friend mid-day for a quick chat or play that song that always gets your blood pumping right near the end of your workout when you think you can’t do anymore. It may also be worthwhile to note who or what drags you down and try to reduce their influence on you. There may be images or people who are not uplifting you the way you need them too. Perhaps this is a friend or partner who tends to be negative about your goals. Speak to them about this, maybe they don’t even realize the effect it has on you. Pictures can speak a thousand words so watch if commercial images of seemingly perfect people are causing you to doubt yourself. There are so many amazing videos out there of people just like you and I who have overcome great adversity to realize a healthy and happy life. If they can do it so can you.

I find external motivators in some of the most unlikely places. What motivates me to move my body the most is thinking about the people in my life that have been affected by illness and had their bodies virtually taken from them too soon. I think of my mother who died an early death due to cancer and how her body became so foreign to her. Or my friend and student who suffered a very short time with lung and brain cancer and found the simple act of breathing almost impossible. When I’m working out and I think I just can’t do any more I visualize their faces and I dedicate the next push of energy to them. Just writing this is getting me excited. When I run outdoors I take a path system that winds it’s way around my neighbourhood and I usually try and go a different way each time but normally the end of my run takes me down a main road. Often there is a man in a wheel chair watching the traffic pass and when I see him I give him a wave and he waves back. No matter how tired I feel at that moment I start to run like the wind. I can’t imagine he asked to be put in that wheel chair and I’m sure if given the choice he would rather run just like me. So I run and I run and I run….for him and for me.

Here are some of my favourite ways to spark my own internal motivation, maybe they can help you too:

  • Motivational quotes – if I find them online I write them down or pin them on my Pinterest board so that I can refer to them again.
  • Uplifting pages on Facebook – enough with the criticism, let’s support each other!
  • Videos of individuals who made radical changes to their lives.
  • Working out alongside people who inspire me with their dedication and intensity.
  • Surrounding myself with others who are on the same path of good health and sharing some of my obstacles with them.
  • Particular songs – I make sure they are on my playlists!

Always remember that there will be ups and downs. We can prepare ourselves for the “downs” and even allow ourselves to feel them. There’s a quote I love: “When you have one flat tire you don’t slash the other three.” When you have a day or week where you fall off track just get back on and try not to dwell on it. Reach out to those motivators. I would love for you to join my Facebook page where I try and post regular motivation.

“When you are just about to give up remember why you started” – Anonymous